Chocolate Peppermint Sugar Cookies

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These cookies were a late addition to my Christmas cookie baking. I hadn’t baked any sugar cookies, thought these looked cool, and peppermint was a flavor not in any of the other cookies.

At first bite, these cookies have a slightly grainy texture. But really, this is not different than most other sugar cookies. I think the color (red/black) and flavor (peppermint/chocolate) throw off the senses. After a few bites, it turns out to be a nice cookie.

I had to make some alterations to the original recipe, notably for the peppermint dough. When I followed the ingredients/directions as written, the dough was dry and crumbly. So, I added two tablespoons of milk, and this solved the problem, creating a dough that was roughly the same consistency as the chocolate.

Rolling along the long edge of the rectangles of dough resulted in fewer spirals than in the pictures. Admittedly, my dough was slightly thicker than 1/8″ (more like 1/6″), and my roll was not wound very tightly. If I were making them again, I’d consider rolling along the short edge for more spirals and a larger cookie. The cookies (all 70 of them) were 1.5-2″ in diameter, which is a little on the small side, but ultimately the perfect size for Christmas cookie consumption.

The recipe also bakes the cookies for 5-7 minutes, but I found that mine were done after about 9 minutes. I baked them fairly cold, directly from the refrigerator.

CHOCOLATE PEPPERMINT SUGAR COOKIES
Based on this recipe.

INGREDIENTS

Chocolate Dough:
2 cups +2 tbsp. (270 g) all-purpose flour
6 tbsp. (45 g) cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
10 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
2 tbsp. whole milk

Peppermint Dough:
2 cups +2 tbsp. (270 g) all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk
1 1/2 tsp. peppermint extract
1 tsp. red food coloring
2 tbsp. whole milk

DIRECTIONS:

  1. For the chocolate dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
  3. Add the egg, then beat until incorporated.
  4. Add the flour mixture on low speed alternately with the milk (one tablespoon at a time), beginning and ending with the flour, until the dough comes together.
  5. Divide dough into equal portions (~340 g each), flatten slightly, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator while preparing the peppermint dough.
  6. Clean and dry bowl and stand mixer.
  7. For the peppermint dough: In a medium bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Set aside.
  8. In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
  9. Add the egg, then beat until incorporated.
  10. Add the peppermint extract and red food coloring, then beat until combined.
  11. Reduce mixer speed to low, then add flour one large spoonful at a time, waiting for each addition to incorporate. Add milk, then beat on low speed to combine.
  12. Divide dough into equal portions (~268 g each), flatten slightly, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator while rolling out the chocolate dough.
  13. For the assembly & baking: Roll out each portion of the chocolate dough into a rectangle on a flour-dusted surface until 1/8″ thick. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill at least 1 hour.
  14. Roll out each portion of the peppermint dough into a rectangle on a flour-dusted surface until 1/8″ thick. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet and chill at least 1 hour.
  15. Trim the dough into like-sized rectangles (save the scraps). Let dough warm to room temperature for 10 minutes or until more pliable.
  16. Orient a chocolate rectangle with long-edge closest to you, then top with a peppermint rectangle such that 1/8″ of the chocolate dough closest to you remains exposed.
  17. Begin to roll the chocolate over the peppermint, rolling away from you and using the parchment to guide the dough. Close the roll, transfer to refrigerator overnight, and repeat.
  18. If desired, combine the scraps, roll into a log, and refrigerate overnight.
  19. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper/silicone mats.
  20. Slice logs into 1/4″ slices and place 1″ apart on baking sheets.
  21. Bake 5-9 minutes (mine took 9 minutes), or until edges begin to brown and centers are matte.